


Ode to Sleep

by rextexx



Category: LazyTown
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, I guess???, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Robbie and the ship are having a little talk, Sleep Deprivation, Sleep Paralysis, Sleepovers, This probably looks a bit dubious but dont worry this is sfw, for now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 13:20:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15842127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rextexx/pseuds/rextexx
Summary: When Robbie finds himself waking up in Sportacus' ship multiple times with little to no memory of the previous evening, it's up to Shireship to fill in the gaps  - and maybe help out a little with discovering new feelings.





	Ode to Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> Since the 'News' , things have been a bit harder for me to write stuff. But I've been binge watching Lazytown to honor Stefan and now I'm back i think. Hope everyone is doing alright ♥

Opening his eyes, Sportacus woke up from a soft, gentle dream that slowly let go of his mind .

He's snugly wrapped in the sheets , a bit deeper than usual, a bit more unwilling to leave the bed. That's strange - but even stranger that once he looked at the clock , he realized he had awoken at 8.09, instead of the usual 8.08 am in the morning .

Oh . How weird . He never overslept like this, ever . He always went to bed at the exact time, and woke up at the exact time as well .

And something else caught his attention . His hat was missing . Blonde locks hung loosely from his forehead in his eyes, with the palm of his hand he smoothed them back to be able to see at all .

How weird, indeed !  Sportacus never removed his hat, nor his uniform before going to bed . He looked down himself, pleased to see the uniform was still in its place. The crystal still rested on top of his chest, silent for now, yet alert, as he was . – but where was his cap? 

Maybe it fell off during the night, he reasoned, although that never happened once in the many years he lived up here . The cap was now almost part of his very own self . It was a very important item to the hero, not only to tame that mane of his while doing sports , but also to keep his ears hidden and protected .

A few scenarios ran through his still slightly hazy mind , blue eyes skimming the sparsely furnished room of his airship. Had he lost it somewhere before going to sleep and hadn't noticed until now ? No, he was sure he still had it yesterday . Did it tear at a seam and needed to be fixed before he could wear it again? But that's impossible, none of his clothes ever tear or break, they weren't made of ordinary fabric after all . And besides , he couldn't remember anything like that happening the day before. Was this perhaps the reason why he slept in too?

 

A noise drew his attention to the sheets next to him. There was a rhythmic , deep buzzing coming from beneath the bunched up ends of the blanket. What he had believed to be just noises from outside, or the engine of his airship, turned out to be something completely different .

Snoring. Someone was snoring right next to him.

For several seconds Sportacus stared at the bundle that was leaning against his hip, the one he hadn't even noticed before until just now .  Was … was there someone beneath the covers, sleeping in his bed? With him?

  
' I can't sleep .' echoed the voice in the back of his mind.  
' Why not ? ' he remembered asking.   
' N – N ━━ Nightmares . '

  
The voice was so familiar but Sportacus couldn't pinpoint why or whom it belonged to .

' Are they bad ? ' Sportacus asked. He just remembered him nodding back at him, clutching a pillow to his chest . He looked so desperate, and helpless, it had torn at his heart strings .

Nightmares were the trickier kind of problem to solve for a superhero. He could save the kids from falling out of trees or off ladders or help them out of holes and keep them from harming themselves . But he could not look into people's heads, into people's dreams. He couldn't prevent bad dreams from happening . That unfortunately remained to be an experience each had to battle on their own .

  
' What were they about ? ' Sportacus had asked. He may not be able to save people from their bad dreams, however he could offer a little bit of comfort when they were awake. Talk to them. About what they dreamed. Then reassure them whatever their mind had come up with, it wasn't true . It wasn't real . That worked with the children .

But Robbie … Robbie wasn't a child.

 

 _Robbie._  Sportacus blinked as the scattered pieces inside his mind slowly formed a clear picture.

It had been late, and he had noticed the crystal radiating an ominous shine that urged the hero out of his bed and outside , towards the villain's lair . He didn't question his crystals decision to bleep in the middle of the night , when Robbie could be in actual danger . And considering that the villain did not go to sleep when Sportacus did, although he wished the man would , he did not waste a moment to question the situation. Something bad was happening, and it's happening at that moment !

Once there, his crystal's warning alarm turned out to be for a good reason. He had never seen the man so... unnerved . He was shivering, clutching pillows to his chest on that makeshift bed on his reclined armchair , pale like a sheet , sweat clinging to his forehead – and once his eyes caught sight of Sportacus standing in his lair, he burst out into tears .

It had taken a good while to get the poor man to talk proper words to him, and several tissues before the tears stopped .

Even now, Sportacus didn't get to hear what happened exactly, what the poor man had dreamed of . Only that it had hit quite home. Words like 'couldn't move ' and ' couldn't even speak or yell for help' were said , as well as 'the shadows began moving and coming closer' – and that had been enough for Sportacus to offer the man a safe place up in his airship .

He wondered if Robbie had protested, considering he was very much afraid of heights. But he realized that the only person there next to him under the covers had to be the villain. Who else would it be ?

How did they end up sharing a bed ? Maybe Sportacus had offered Robbie his own bed , but slipped into the sheets with him out of reflex without realizing. Maybe Robbie had asked him to stay in the bed with him. The idea made his stomach clench in a strange way , and his heart flutter.

Carefully Sportacus grabbed the corner of the blanket and pulled it away. Tufts or black hair peeked from beneath the white sheets . Robbie was positively buried beneath the blanket, had wrapped himself deep into the fabric, face pressed into the soft feathers. There was a relaxed expression on his face , eyes softly fluttering beneath his eyelashes, breathing slowly, a low growl rumbling whenever he breathed in.

The tips of his fingers clutched onto something. Something blue. His cap !

Sportacus leaned in, gently prying the fabric out of the man's grip, getting a closer look on the villain's face.

He looked happy. And safe. Nothing left of the distress his nightmares had caused him on his handsome features.

 

How long has it been since the villain had used an actual bed to sleep in? Sportacus could not imagine spending night after night in that small cramped space on an armchair for more than one night .

The cap was back in the hero's possession, yet still he found himself not bothering to pt it on just yet, or draw back .  Robbie hadn't even stirred when the fabric was removed from his grasp . 

The hero let his fingers softly slip through the villain's hair, smoothing some untamed strands back into their place over the villain's head. Robbie gave a soft grunt, pressing his face further into the pillow. He mumbled something that sounded awfully a lot like his name .

Sportacus smiled . It was a warm and soft smile , a smile filled with love. Yes , he did love the villain. More than someone should love their rival. More than a friend loved a friend. He knew he did, long before he admitted it.

There was so much about Robbie Rotten to love. His quirky, but honest, almost blunt personality. His brilliant, beautiful pale eyes. His intelligence. His soft, loving side that so rarely showed, but was all the more appreciated. And even in his sleep, Robbie was handsome to the elf. Nothing about the man was rugged or dishevelled , neither his pale skin nor his hair, or his lips or his fingers ...

More than often he remembered his father boasting of their race's extraordinary beauty, their strength and their deftness. There were no unsightly elves, no wimpy, feeble elves , no elves with two left feet out there. But Robbie, while not being the strongest person on earth, was still more beautiful and dexterous than any elf Sportacus knew of . 

While he softly brushed his fingers along the man's hair, he suddenly remembered that it was way too early for Robbie's usual waking up time - and that Sportacus was actually terribly late ! He slipped out of the bed as fast and as quiet as he could.

“Ship! “ he whisper-shouted, while putting his hat back into place. “Time!”  
  
“It's 8:12 am, Sportacus.” Shireship buzzed. Even she understood that there was still someone asleep inside the airship, keeping her voice very low.  
  
“I'm late .” Sportacus said, moving across the ship with the most silent flip-flopping he could, making a flip right over the bed, without waking the villain. He retrieved his boots and slipped into them, cartwheeled past the bed to the light patches on the ground. The wall opened displaying an arragment of delicious looking, red, shiny apples. He picked a green one today .   
  
“I hope the kids aren't getting worried about me already ! ”  
  
“I detected two of them at the sportsfield, playing hopscotch.”  
  
“Great!” the elf took a big bite from the sportscandy in his hand. “Good to know they're already starting without me.”  
  
“Sportacus, would you like me to wake your friend at a specific time?”  
  
Ah. Right! In his hurry he had almost forgotten about Robbie. He glanced at the heap of blankets, moving up and down in soft rhythmic intervals.  
  
“No, it's fine, Shire . He had a rough night , and I think he feels very safe here. We should let him sleep. ”   
  
He's about to leave the ship, when he pauses in his steps.  “Shire, could I ask you of a favor?”  
  
“Of course, Sportacus.” the ship buzzed.   
  
“Could you make Robbie breakfast when he wakes up? I ah … guess he doesn't like anything with sportscandy. But maybe... maybe ask him if he wants anything, anyway ?”  
  
“I will.” the ship promised.   
  
“Thank you. Oh ! And please raise the temperature. I think he is cold. Oh ! And if he asks for me, tell him I'm outside with the kids! And lower the ship to the ground, so he doesn't get scared by the height. Oh, and – “  
  
“Sportacus. You are running late.” the ship reminded him with gentle patience. “Ah! Yes. You're right.”  
  
“Do not worry, Sportacus. I will take care of all your friend's needs. Now hurry. I think I can hear Stephanie calling for you.”  
  
The superhero thanked the ship once more, before scurrying off, out the door and down the ladder. If an artificial intelligence could smile, shireship most definitely would.

 

Robbie doesn't wake up way past twelve.

When he does, he wakes up the gentlest way he had in ages. He's not suddenly torn out of his dreams or rudely aroused by noises as he usually is. His backpain doesn't disturb his slumber, and neither did any laughter or screams or shouting .

His senses slowly awaken, one by one. First, his hearing. He hears a soft, almost inaudible buzz in the air around him.

Then, he starts feeling is surroundings. Soft and warm. He could swear it had been a bit cool around him some moments ago, but now it was warm and comforting.

He feels something incredibly soft under his fingers, fabric, wool and feathers. He groans softly , curling his body deeper into this softness.

He begins to detect scents around him. A very prominent smell that he knows. A person. A person he always believed had no real scent, because he was an elf, a very hyperactive sports-fanatic elf , who didn't even smell of sweat.

But he was wrong. He did have a scent. Not very prominent, it seems, yet enough that Robbie instantly recognized it.

  
“Sportacus...” he muttered, burying his face into the pillow, taking in a deep breath. He smells honey. And mint. Leather and freshly washed clothes. And... sportscandy ?!  _Eugh !_

  
He opens one eye. Then another. Suddenly he realizes – he's not in his lair. His lair wasn't this... bright. Or empty. And when exactly had Robbie used an actual bed in the last twenty years ?! A short moment of panic ensued. Where was he? Why was he not at home?!

“Good morning, Robbie. I hope you had a restful night. ”  
  
Robbie flinched , pulling the covers to his face.   
  
“W-Wha – who ? Who's there?” He didn't recognize the voice. It was female, and resonated from the walls.  
  
“I am Shireship, the AI of this aerodynamic vehicle.” Shireship explained. “Sportacus' personal manager and caretaker. “   
  
Robbie blinked slowly once his sleep hazed mind caught up wit her words. Oh. Yeah. He remembered the elf had this stupid AI installed in his airship. Why not ?  


“It is twelve, twenty six.” she announced, without being questioned. “A good time to start the day.”  
  
“Ugh, no. That's too early. Way too early ! ” Robbie growled, rubbing his eyes.

Why did he feel like he hadn't slept at all last night? Not that he ever felt completely rested anyway. But this night felt like he had been completely restless. Must be Sportacus' awfully hard mattress. Or the constant humming of the ship's engine.

But even so , he realized just how comfortable an actual bed felt, his back stretched out against a surface, buried under heavenly softness.

  
“Sleep is very important and vital, but too much sleep can have substantial health risks. I would suggest you do not fall asleep again. I do not wish to have harm come your way” Slowly the lights went on, which made Robbie whine, pull the blankets back over his tousled hair.

  
“S-So bright!”  
  
“I am sorry. I will dim the lights for your comfort.”

The room turned a tad darker than before, dark enough for Robbie's eyes to stop stinging. The villain growled indistinguishable words of irritations directed at the voice as he scrambled from his resting spot into a sitting position ; Yawned, stretched his back until his bones popped.

Rubbing his eyes, the villain fought himself out of the sheets that had tangled around him in a vice, but alluring grip. He didn't want to leave this warm softness, but his curiosity for his surroundings made him restless.

  
“Why am I … here ? And not in my lair?” he asks.  
  
“Do you remember anything that happened last night ?”  
  
Robbie frowned. “I-I … I had nightmares. And Sportacus came to ... ”   he paused. Eyes wide, he looked at the wall, from where he predicted the AI came from. “ But then how did I end up here?”  
  
“From what I recall, Sportacus came carrying you in his arms, asked for me to land so he could securely carry you inside for the night. ”   
  
Robbie's eyes grew into the size of saucers. That...that was a jest, right? RIGHT?

He's not sure if the AI had eyes at all, but after a while of Robbie uselessly moving his jaw like a fish on land, she added on.  
  
“Would you like to receive verbal or visual reconstructions of the evening?”  
  
“Vi-Vi-WHAT? Visual? Verb – I err. Visual? I guess?” Robbie said, unsure what exactly the AI was implying.   
  
There was a short metallic wheeze. A monitor came craning down , right above Sportacus' bed. The screen flickered momentarily, then the room from a bird's eye view popped up. There must be a camera somewhere in one of the round corners of the room, capturing every movement.

The door opened, and someone clad in blue, holding another person clad in deep maroon and purple colors inside. That person was Sportacus. And that man cowering in his arms, suckling on his thumb was Robbie himself. Wearing his broad nightcoat, silk pajama pants and slippers.

He looked shaken, frail in the hero's arms, pale, and terribly exhausted. Sportacus called for the lights to go out. The villain noticed there was something missing. Sportacus' hat. And Sportacus' boots. Instead of the usual uniform the elf wears, he sees the hero's mane of yellow hair freely falling from his head.

Robbie feels his cheeks warm up once again. He had never seen the man without his silly hat on. He always believed the man had no hair at all under there – that would be a funny idea !  Or at least, that his hair would be dark, tawny, like the few tufts that always stick out underneath the farbric. But they are fair and soft – and Robbie was the one holding onto the hat .

Robbie leaned forward in the bed, closer to the screen. Sportacus slowly lowers the villain into the bed, drawing the covers up to his shoulders.

Robbie's body, so used to the hard, narrow space of his armchair, instantly curled into the softness, spreading his limbs, using the expanded space to completely take it in with his long legs. He had completely taken in the whole bed for himself, hogging the pillows and bunching the single cover over himself, the sound of his snoring echoing in the hollow room of his airship.

Sportacus knelt before the bed , arms resting on the mattress, watching the man under his covers slowly slip into deeper sleep. He stayed there to the end of the recording, kneeling and occasionally reaching out to tug the blanket further over his exposed shoulders.

Robbie felt a lump in his throat. Despite feeling grateful for offering the villain the bed, he still felt immensely embarrassed. A man of his age, crying over nightmares, having a sleepover with his rival. Oh , how low the great Robbie Rotten had fallen.

  
“W-Why are you recording this anyway?” Robbie grumbled. “Don't you know what ' privacy ' means ?”  
  
“I was programmed to keep track of Sportacus' activity at all times. “ If shireship had shoulders, she might've shrugged. Robbie however, possessed shoulders, and he hunched them, rolling his eyes.   
  
“Of course he has. I wouldn't be surprised if you even keep track of how often he flip-flops around.”  
  
A moment of silence.  
  
“Would you like to know the exact amount of--”  
  
“No, thank you!” Robbie quickly snapped. He was confused, so confused. Embarrassed even. This whole situation was probably the most bizarre thing Robbie had ever experienced. He. In Sportacus' ship. Sleeping in Sportacus' bed. Sharing the space & sheets with his sworn enemy.

  
“There is more.” Shireship said.  
  
“M-MORE?!” Robbie parroted. Oh no. What else could there possibly be? Why did this 'more' sound so heavy on his tongue?   
  
The screen flickered, and a second recording started. It had to be deeper in the night, or earlier in the morning, he swore he could see the first few sunrays shining through the door's small loophole. At first he couldn't really tell what else there was to see, other than Sportacus leaning over the bed with his head resting on his arms,. He had fallen asleep while watching over the villain. Until the elf suddenly jumped from his seat, awake at once.

  
“Robbie?” he calls softly, as to not wake him. Robbie squints at the recording, not sure what exactly had torn the hero from his slumber or prompted him to speak his name. Until he notices his small self vibrating softly under the sheets, soft noises coming from the speakers that grew in volume. Soft whimpers. He tossed and turned, sounding like a small boy in distress. Sportacus reached out a hand, softly touching Robbie's shoulder, shaking . That just seemed to make it worse, because the little Robbie on the screen flinched , retreating beneath the covers, whining with fear.

  
Finally, his voice was clear enough that Robbie could hear himself crying out softly: “No. Please, please, don't. Don't ! D-Don't c-come closer ! P-Please !! S-Sportacus ! Sportacus …!!”  
  
“Robbie, I'm here.” Sportacus said, climbing onto the bed by the villain's side. Robbie's hand came snaking beneath the covers, reaching for the man, and the hero took his hand in his. Robbie's knuckles were white , that's how tightly the villain held onto the hero.   
  
The Robbie in the present swallowed hard, the frown he wore began to hurt his face. Something inside him wanted to look away, reject what this screen is showing him., deny this ever happened. But he couldn't.  
  
Sportacus' free hand ran along the villain's back, drawing circles over his spine , and slowly , Robbie relaxed , until the tremors inside his body subsided and he was fast asleep again. But even then Sportacus continued to run his hand up and down his back, one even daring to smooth back a few wayward tufts of black hair .

 

“Your stress levels are increasing. Are you alright?” the AI asked . The screen flickered, going black again, the image of the hero seated next to the villain on the bed vanished.   
  
Stress level … ? Robbie slips a hand to his forehead. It's damp from sweat and ice cold . His hair sticks to his skin. Fingers comb them back , right where the hero had touched him, he noticed . With a startle, he drew his hand back .   
  
“A-Am I alright? Am I alright?!” Robbie jumped from the bed . He suddenly felt immensely uncomfortable to be under the covers any longer. “I … I should leave. “  
  
“Are you sure ? You did not consume any breakfast yet . I could prepare a healthy meal for y – “  
  
“N-no ! No. no, you... I … I'm going to leave.” Robbie said , making a few steps into the empty room . Color returned to his face . He rubs his tinging fingertips against his thumb. “I don't like sportscandy, or water, or … or any of this healthy mumbo jumbo stuff ! I – “ he throws his hand to his forehead again . “ Gosh, what am I doing here ? I'm talking to a blimp .”  
  
“I am an AI.”  
“N-No !! Don't talk to me ! I don't wanna hear it! Just let me go. Now!”

“As you wish.”

  
Shireship opened the door for him. Daylight flooded the ship immediately, and Robbie groaned, shielding his eyes with his arm. Still, he carefully approached, hand reaching out to grab the door frame.

He would scurry of back home, pretend this whole thing never happened, and sleep. Maybe he would just sleep the whole day. Or the whole week. Or month . A whole month sounds terrific! Just thirty days of sleep, dreams, not talking to anyone or seeing anyone. No Sportaflop for thirty days – that , indeed , sounded like heaven .

He takes his first step outside – and finds his foot danging in the air for longer than he anticipated. Yelping, he drew himself back against the door frame , awkwardly hanging between ship and the bottomless air.

“Gaah!! Wh-Why didn't you tell me we're still up in the air ?!”  
  
“You wanted to leave.” the AI said nonchalantly . “Right now.”  
  
He throws the empty room a sour glance . Is he getting sassed by a stupid airship?  
  
“I didn't m-mean like THIS !!” Robbie stumbled back inside, eyes quickly adjusting to the brightness of the day – and realized they were , in fact , not airborne. The blimp was floating just mere feet above the floor, low enough for Robbie to safely land on the floor if he jumped.

Robbie went pale . Then red. “W-We're on the ground the whole time ?! Why didn't you – “  
  
“I never said we're still flying.” the Ai answered .

Alright. That's it. He will not wake up in his enemy's bed and get sassed by a blimp twice in a day ! He snarled some incomprehensible curses under his breath , and adjusted his pajamas. He would have to dress somewhere behind a tree . No way he would do that right here inside when that blimp was probably recording his every step.

Seems like she and sportacus did share some similarities – neither had a sense for personal privacy .

 

“W-Well, err. I'm going now.” he said, hesitantly. For some reason he felt like he had to bid the ship goodbye.  Maybe it's the habit speaking here. “I uh – goodbye then ! I think.”  
  
“Yes. Goodbye, Robbie.” she said, in the same, near monochrome voice she used to speak every word with. “I hope we will meet again.”  
  
“Hah, I doubt that.” Robbie sneered. “Th-This was a one-time thing. Me and Sportac – I mean. Me ! Me, waking up here in … ugh . Whatever !! ”

He began his descent , climbing outside the man-high hatch and down a tiny set of stairs. “Don't count on me ever stepping a foot inside this blimp ever again. ”  
  
“If you say so.” the AI replied. “Just keep in mind, you are always welcome in this airship.”  
  
Robbie cringed. His shoulders hitched almost all the way up to his ears. His feet had touched the floor, yet he climbed the few steps up once more, peeking over the floor into the empty room.

  
“N-No I'm not.” he grumbled.  
  
“Yes you are.” Shireship answered dutifully. 

  
Robbie cringed again, his teeth clenching, and there was this sudden pull inside his chest again, like an invisible string tugging at his heart. It happened the first time he had set his eyes on the hero rescuing one of the brats. This feeling made him angry.

With a huff, and more muttered curses under his breath, he let go to the airship , once his feet were securely on the floor. Feeling solid ground beneath his feet felt suddenly very alien to him, like walking on jelly. Or maybe that was still coming from that weird pull inside his chest?

He quickly scurried off into the direction where the billboards stood, to the hatch, down the chutes. Just now did he realize how warm the airship had been – once he reached the bottom of his lair, he began to tremble. Goosebumps broke out on his arms.

It was chilly down here. Cold, and hard. And dark. Sportacus' ship had been dark too, since the windows were closed and the lights weren't on. Yet still, it wasn't as … gloomy as Robbie's underground house.

There were shadows in the corners , and those shadows looked … unwelcoming.

He shook his head. Snap out of it, you idiot, he scolded himself. This is your home! You've been here for nearly twenty years. Nowhere has it ever felt this wonderful and comfortable and  _safe_  than this place . Right?  _Right...?_

 

“A-Anything is better than that flying, talking, deathtrap.” he told himself, and moved towards the fur-chair.

He saw the purple cow blanket thrown aside, draped over the floor.  _In a fit of panic_ , he remembered .

Robbie stopped, several feet away from his seat. Once again, he shook his head, and continued walking. He planted himself into the cozy, soft alpaca fur, each arm draped over one armrest, his head leaning back into the recliner. He gave a soft chuckle, to no one and nothing in particular, and listened for a while.

There was no buzzing of any engines anymore. No AI voice that spoke to him. Just silence. Every slight movement he made, it echoed inside the lair, coupled with the occasional dripping of water in the background.  _Home..._

“I should sleep. It's  _soooo_  early.” he said, stretched his arms until his back groaned in protest, and forced a yawn out of himself. He didn't feel tired at all. And still, he figured, he should do anything, anything to clear his mind of...of...

' You're always welcome in this airship.'  
  
“Tsk!” Robbie rolled his eyes. He wiggled himself into a more comfortable position, draping his long legs over one side of the armrest, and the rest of his body leaning against the other. “I don't need to go back to that airship. Nope. I won't ever have nightmares again! No nightmares. No Sportaflop. “

**Author's Note:**

> The usual warnings apply here, non native speaker, not beta'd, comments & kudos are very appreciated ♥


End file.
